Drilling Fluid: Prevent Formation Fluids Flowing into the Wellbore

The hydrostatic pressure exerted by the mud colom must be high enough to prevent an influx of formation fluids into the wellbore. However, the pressure in the wellbore must not be too high or it may cause the formation to fracture and this will result in the loss of expensive mud into the formation. The flow of mud into the formation whilst drilling is known as lost circulation. This is because a certain proportion of the mud is not returning to surface but flowing into the formation.

One Thought on “Drilling Fluid: Prevent Formation Fluids Flowing into the Wellbore”

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